This invention relates to an apparatus and method of molding food particles into edible coherent products. More particularly, the invention involves compressing and baking food particles to yield shaped products such as pie shells.
Illustrative of an edible product composed of pieces of food bonded together is the pasta-based product of U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,752 to Taylor et al. The patent discloses the formation of discrete pieces of cooked pasta with a binding composition into a desired shape. The pasta-based product is proposed as the base or shell of a pizza and as such may be garnished with tomato sauce, cheese, mushrooms, etc. U.S. Pat. No. 4,693,900 to Molinari also describes a shaped pasta product formed of cooked pasta. Zukerman discloses in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,711,295; 3,961,087 and 5,137,745 shaped food products composed of rice and other cereal grains.
The prior art, however, fails to teach a simple apparatus and method for forming shaped products composed of food particles.
Accordingly, a principal object of the invention is to provide an apparatus and method for compacting and heating food particles into edible unified shapes.
Another important object is to provide an apparatus and method suitable for the commercial production of shaped products composed of coherent food particles.
A further object is to provide apparatus that can be automated with minimum mechanical movements.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description which follows.